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Do you know of any major country with the wide demographic that the US has that doesn't possess the cultural differences born of coming from different backgrounds? Is it really so difficult to accept that the US consists of a multitude of cultures (the melting pot term was coined for a reason) that will in some form divide themselves by that culture?

The term United in united states of america reflects just that for many people. That this country doesn't always live up to it is sad, but the idea of people from multiple parts of the world can make lives for themselves in part for many of them means having the freedom to observe their cultural traditions. The real problem lies in how those traditions affect the people and how they reflect the laws of the country. Not whether or not a person prefers to be acknowledged as a Jew or anything else.

Would you prefer a completely homogeneous society with no traits in the people born of the cultures their families brought with them? America is composed of a very large number of different people from areas all over the world. Their cultures are part of American culture, and since not all of the traditions follow with others (or in some cases with US law) there will always be complications with cultures clashing.

To dismiss it completely is simply ignorant of all the different cultures that make this country what it is. It is sadly what many of the loudest voices in the media tend to perpetuate. But it is no less wrong.

That of course in no way justifies the horrible acts in the OP, but not every tradition is in equal abhorrence.

RDFRS US:
The mission of the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science is to support scientific education, critical thinking and evidence-based understanding of the natural world in the quest to overcome religious fundamentalism, superstition, intolerance and suffering.